Blue 8 to 9 Transition Guide - IT Administrators (Checklist and Responsibilities)

Note - This article focuses on planning and execution (5–10 minute read).

Overview

The Blue 9 transition requires targeted IT validation, not a full system overhaul.

Your role is to ensure secure access, connectivity, and configuration readiness.

What to expect (at a glance)

• Explorance performs the upgrade
• Core infrastructure changes introduce:
  • New URLs
  • Updated authentication model
  • Email (SMTP) configuration updates

These are standard, well-defined steps, not custom development.

Your responsibilities

1. Authentication (SSO)
   • Reconfigure SSO profiles for Blue 9
   • Ensure compatibility with updated authentication model
2. Email configuration (SMTP)
   • Provide SMTP credentials
   • Validate email delivery post-upgrade
3. Network and security
   • Whitelist required IP addresses
   • Ensure certificate trust for authentication services
4. URL updates
   • Validate new Blue 9 URLs
   • Update custom domains (if applicable)
   • Ensure redirects function correctly

All responsibilities are clearly defined and supported.

Upgrade checklist

Before upgrade

• Prepare SSO configuration details
• Share SMTP credentials with Explorance
• Whitelist required IP addresses

During upgrade

• Reconfigure SSO with Explorance

After upgrade

• Test login (SSO)
• Validate email delivery
• Confirm URL access and redirects

This checklist ensures controlled execution with minimal risk.

What does NOT change

• No need to rebuild integrations from scratch
• LMS integrations remain intact
• Core data structure is preserved

What requires attention

• SSO reconfiguration
• URL updates
• DST/API endpoint updates (if used)

These are standard transition steps, not blockers.

What ensures a successful upgrade

• Upgrade is coordinated with Explorance
• Changes are predictable and documented
• Validation steps ensure system readiness before go-live

Recommended approach

• Follow the checklist
• Coordinate early with administrators
• Validate in a controlled test window if needed